Cathedral of St Andrew and St Demetrius

The Cathedral Church of St Andrew and St Demetrius (Spanish: Iglesia Catedral de los Santos Andrés y Demetrio) is a Greek Orthodox cathedral situated on Nicaragua Street in the neighbourhood of Hispanoamérica, district of Chamartín, Madrid, Spain, which belongs to the Orthodox Church of Constantinople.^[1] Originally a church, it was granted cathedral status in 2006.^[2]

Cathedral Church of St Andrew and St Demetrius
Iglesia Catedral de los Santos Andrés y Demetrio
40.457469°N 3.672875°W / 40.457469; -3.672875
Location	Madrid
Address	Calle Nicaragua, 12
Country	Spain
Denomination	Greek Orthodox
History
Status	Cathedral
Dedication	Andrew the Apostle and Demetrius of Thessaloniki
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Byzantine
Groundbreaking	1971
Completed	1973
Administration
Province	Constantinople
Metropolis	Spain and Portugal

History

The presence of Greek Orthodoxy in Spain dates back to the late 19th century, when some Greek merchants emigrated to the Iberian Peninsula. In 1949, the Parish of St Andrew the Apostle (Parroquia del Apóstol San Andrés) was founded in the capital city Madrid, under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople. The first stone of the current cathedral was laid in 1971, and construction finished in 1973, the cathedral was inaugurated in the same year. It is built in Byzantine style with a bell tower. Inside, like any other Eastern Orthodox church, an iconostasis with holy door separates the nave from the sanctuary. The interior walls are entirely covered with colourful fresco paintings and elaborate decorative motifs made by Greek artists.^[3]

See also

• Eastern Orthodoxy in Spain
• Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France

References

1. "Santa Iglesia Catedral de los Santos Andrés y Demetrio". sacrametropolisortodoxa.jimdofree.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 April 2021.
2. Díez de Velasco, Francisco. "El cristianismo ortodoxo en España". fradive.webs.ull.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 April 2021.
3. López García, Bernabé (2007). Arraigados: Minorías religiosas en la Comunidad de Madrid. Collection «Pluralismo y convivencia» (nº 3) (in Spanish). Barcelona: Icaria Editorial. p. 72. ISBN 9788474269383.